Sports briefs for Sept. 10, 2013

LeBron: ‘We’ll see’ what free agency 2014 brings

LeBron James can become a free agent at the end of the 2013-14 season, but the Miami Heat star isn’t offering insight into The Decision, Part II.

“I have absolutely no idea. I would love to spend the rest of my career in Miami with this great team and great organization as we continue to compete for championships. That’s ideal,” James told ESPN.com. “But we don’t know what may happen from now to the end of the season. That’s the nature of the business. It’s the nature of not knowing what tomorrow brings.”

The Heat won their second consecutive NBA championship with James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh — who signed together when they were last free agents in 2010 — leading them past the San Antonio Spurs in a seven-game series. James, who announced his free agency destination that summer on July 8 in a made-for-TV special dubbed “The Decision,” said last season that he wants to remain with the Heat.

James took a lesser contract from the Heat in 2010 than he could’ve received to remain in Cleveland near his hometown of Akron. The Chicago Bulls, a team that met with each of the Heat’s Big Three that summer, could’ve also made a more lucrative offer.

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This time around, it will be the Heat who can pay him more than any potential suitors. James isn’t yet ruling out anything, even the much-discussed possibility that he could return triumphantly to the Cavaliers.

Athletics activate Reddick from DL

The Oakland Athletics activated outfielder Josh Reddick from the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday, hoping that the time off leaves him ready to contribute as the team looks to hold off the Texas Rangers in the American League West.

Reddick, who went on the DL on Aug. 26 with a right wrist injury that has bothered him all season, enters Tuesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins hitting .213 with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs. It’s a far cry from the numbers he put up in his breakout campaign in 2012, when he finished the year with 32 home runs and 85 RBIs.

The right fielder was not in the starting lineup Tuesday, but the 2012 Gold Glove Award winner could allow the A’s to move Brandon Moss back to first base if healthy.

The Athletics enter Tuesday with a two-game lead over the Rangers in the AL West.

Giants bring back RB Brandon Jacob

Running back Brandon Jacobs re-signed with the New York Giants on a one-year deal.

The team brought in three veterans — Jacobs, Willis McGahee and Joe McKnight — for workouts Tuesday, and opted to bring Jacobs back into the fold to help struggling second-year back David Wilson.

Wilson was benched after fumbling twice in Sunday night’s season-opening loss at the Dallas Cowboys. He also struggled in pass protection, a chore that was largely expected to fall on injured third-down back Andre Brown.

Jacobs, 31, was with the Giants from 2005-2011, and while he often clashed with the coaching staff over his running style and role in the offense, he did rush for 4,849 yards and 56 touchdowns over those seven seasons.

The bruising 6-4, 264-pound Jacobs signed with the San Francisco 49ers during the 2012 offseason, but battled a knee injury and was released after managing just seven yards on five carries in two games.

Bettman says NHL could further reduce goalie pads

NEW YORK — The NHL may cut the size of goaltender equipment again after it shortens leg pads by about two inches this season to try to increase scoring, Commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday.

The league and its players’ union agreed this offseason to reduce the maximum length of goalie pads, according to NHL.com, after scoring dropped for the fourth consecutive season. Bettman said the league is exploring additional changes.

“We’re looking at other things that we can do to reduce the size of the equipment and open up more space to shoot at,” Bettman said at the Bloomberg Sports Business Summit hosted by Bloomberg Link in New York. “But we have to be careful because, again, goalies are important, valuable, and we don’t want them needlessly hurt.”

The league’s previous rules, instituted prior to the 2010-11 season, said that a goalie’s leg pads could extend no higher than 55 percent of the distance between his knee and pelvis, according to the NHL’s website. That number will be reduced to 45 percent, which would shorten the average goalie’s pads by two inches.

Lions’ Suh fined $100,000 for illegal block

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was fined $100,000 for his hit on Minnesota Vikings center John Sullivan, the NFL said on Tuesday.

Suh, the second overall pick in the 2010 draft who has since developed a reputation as one of the NFL’s dirtiest players, was notified of the ban by NFL Vice President of Football Operations Merton Hanks, the league said in a statement.

Suh was given a personal foul on the play when he delivered an illegal block that was below Sullivan’s waist and well behind the play in the second quarter. Detroit went on to win 34-24.

The NFL also fined Suh $30,000 last season for unnecessary roughness when he kicked Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub and he was suspended for two games in 2011 for stomping on Green Bay Packers Evan Dietrich-Smith.

MLB releases 2014 schedule

Major League Baseball unveiled the 2014 regular-season schedule, which will begin with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers playing a two-game series in Sydney, Australia from March 22-23.

The remainder of the schedule will begin a week later, with ESPN kicking off its 25th season of “Sunday Night Baseball” on March 30 with teams yet to be announced.

The traditional Opening Day will be Monday, March 31, with 14 games, including 10 divisional matchups and an interleague game with the Philadelphia Phillies at the Texas Rangers.

The Houston Astros will play host to the New York Yankees on April 1 in the 2014 openers for both teams.